Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-05-12
NEWS OF LOCAL INTEREST
NO Law gsJR THE sLIPPERf CONT
MISSION NAN.
Delaware Dows sAHat Took Esrlza ~
lhe Bsnch saesv Of she Westnain-
nssr Axennea Cassh Purchases mAae
sssEghe Umssonsss

IxluT
.ssEght UmsaoR.'s
- -r--- - a,sl r-
II is commonly said that women love |
Buta peep into ,Stidham's |
auction rooms AZ O'clock last night week |
would amply dempnstsate the fact that |
the sterner sex to, whether they admit the |
weakness or not, ase similarly possessed |
with devout attraction for the mysteri-
ous. Hundreds q5 pairs OF eyes gazed |
with renewed axedness at the neat brown |
paper parcels with the readily-reeognized
sauare red poster and it's big black hg- |
ures. the well-known e hallmark y of the
Adams Express Company
The large room was packed SO with
human beings that slocomotion was next
70 impossible. Clouds of tobacco smoke
filed the upper atmosphere while the
lower Ornament reeked with the heated
air Of hundreds Of perspiring, restless
humanity. But II was a good .natured
crowd whose smiling faces indicated that
each one believed religiously in his own
good luok and that fortune of some
kind was surely awaiting him, bound mp
in those numerous mysterious packages.
A doubtful Dldy with an air OF su-
perior information suggested the obserya-
tion that all the packages We're tied up
with the same kind Of paper, with same
kind Of twine and all exactly in the same
way. But his dark suggestions were re-
be mystifed was what the crowd was
there last night for, They did not thank
anyone to disillusionize them. AS the
great p. I. Barnum says 1.-THE people
like to be fooled and will willingly pay to
be fooled"
But the auctioneer was the autocrat OF
the occasion. Perohed on his high desk,
in shirt sleeves, bared to the arm, he
stood like o laundering Jove with stentor
voice, whose tones rolled clearly through
the thick smoke, which, clouded and
misted, only added p mystery OF I'M
portance to his dimly y-discerned outlines
Myrmidons in summer-night costume
were on either side OF him handling the
precious packages back and forth.
How the crowd reeked and perspired
In yapor. The moisture rolled In rifulets
from their shining red faces. II was
another Black Hole OF Calcutta, and the
auctioneer was the relentless Tippoo SAID.
Warm as the outer atmosphere was last
night il was literally cold in contrast TO
the sitting atmosphere OF the interior.
"Now, gentlemen, you'll please give me
your attention and weli commence ine
sale. Here's the first, vaiise ana lis
contents, No. 4,49l. What Will you give
for it2" Five cents shouted pidaer..
-10-l0--lO-lb---2O -2O-26-2o.-
gone-to that gentleman. l guess you're
sure you've got your value In that. :.
A number of packages and parcels
large and small followed in quick success
sion averaging prices from 30 cents to
dollar. A heavy square box was put up
which the auctioneer laboriously handled.
"What's in it Frank2" came from the
audience. "Sand, ''said some one. 'Gold,
think" quickly replied the auetioneer.
It was sold for 80 cents. "You'ye got
bargain in that, young man, think its
pair of chickensl" The. next package
| had promising appearance. An ex-
squire Immediately pumped out with
anxious tremor, $50 cents!" II think
/ there's silk gown in it." The parcel
was sold for $1.25.
Some of the purchasers opened their
parcels. Among the treasures were found
cases of Seott's Emulsion, cod liver oil;
another discovered his prize to be a
neatly made up assortment of feped ferns,
all mashed fat, and yellow and dusty
| with age. Il was received with hearty
laughter. A case of TESTERS Root Medi-
cine, costing $175, brought jeers Of
derisive laughter at the disappointed
| brver. Another, who had not the courage
to open his parcel, was assailed with cries,
"Lets smell it ~ In an unlncky moment
of trustfulness the buyer cut the strings
of the package, and Immediately the
atmosphere was filed with q most abom-
4 IL l. ~
musty California raisins. He paid 81 fot
the valuable parcel, and was immediately
hustled with his offensive goods out OF
the room. His neiQhbors had no further
interest in him. A disappointed Dutch
/ man. with frantic pale face and
broken English, held aloft at arms
length a struggling bundle of bass mat
ting, cryinp out in remonstrance as he
pressed forward through the crowd to the
auctioneer's desk. ~ paid dollar fol
thatln He got no Satisfaction from thai
ouarter but delighted wells of derisior
from the crowd. Another paid 80 cents
for a full set of rubber stamps. One mar
boucbt a package of elephantine proper
items. paliantly shouldered il and marched
dogoedly TO the doorway, evidently nm
wiiiing 10 risk The possible ierision of
luckless purchase. Another was deceived
into paving rs cents for dried.up speci
men Of poison iyy. Quickly followin,
these were dearly. purchased bottles o
SIoonm,s oxvUenized cod liver oil, Elefei
zon patent medicines. An empty trunl
sold Tor M; ana box of sawdust and col
rnoated naekino-paner brought as cents
Tbs same ann secured an old gold
nlatad watch. A yaliae Containing oil
Clothes underoIothes. and boots with th
, toes ont. was seoured for 35 cents a rol
of eun betting brought 30 cents, and
HOY Of last years ainlanacs deluded
4 nnrchaaar 10 the extent Of S3.75.
braclret with looking glass cost Al. and
T haby,s rocker s( oants Another roar {
9 Ianshtar Greeted tha annearanee of
= sacend bo1 az almanaca Medicine fc
f,ts and eniIensv realizad 40 cents. and
i;ttIa box of aamnIe veast cakes 3tj oeptl
A parcel of circus biils cost G5 cents, an
. boy az ,,rattv Fastar earda 06 cents.
: snii su;t at clotbsa and ovarooat were ne,
: aoid whan tbe nnrcbasars re-sold n
n troSysara for the eost Of the whole origin
l. naciraca a nacnIiar. .looRino oaroel costin
5g ca5is sbawad mn hi contain 4 broke
v n,sss os italian i,napa ware a large INV
}, tay;o,,s looL;no aaclr was sold al hid
Z nr;oa ] bnt its contents were an anciel
" | canniue, unfit faOta kattlAs mans RtOV